Best Free 3D Printing Design Guides 2025

First up is this Composite 3D Printing Design Guide. It starts with the basics of 3D printing with plastics and a quick reference sheet to clarify terms and concepts in additive manufacturing. Then, it moves on to composite fibre reinforcement, and identifying the best opportunities for 3D printing.

Next it moves on to best practises for 3D printing. Additive manufacturing is inherently different to subtractive manufacturing, so this guide highlights what to consider when designing a part for 3D printing. It covers strategic design practises like when to integrate off-the-shelf components, shaping parts to reduce waste and improve quality, and designing for the best possible strength.

Finally, it has sections on different 3D printing materials, and how to employ reinforcement and shelling for the most cost effective use of materials.

If you’re looking for a cheat sheet on 3D printing design, this is it.

Next up is the Metal 3D Printing Design Guide.

Similar in nature to the composite guide, this starts with the basics and a reference sheet for 3D printing with metal. This first section includes topics such as how to handle free standing pillars, engraved and embossed features, unsupported overhangs and supports.

The guide then moves on to optimising the processes around 3D printing metal. With sections on optimising for printing, washing out binding materials and sintering, this is an excellent source of tips and tricks. Metals aren’t the cheapest materials around, so the best practises for efficiency in this guide are well worth knowing.

It also contains a section on strategic metal printing practises, with insight on when to use pins and other off-the-shelf components for alignment, when to separate parts, and isolating critical components to avoid re-printing.

Post processing is also a critical part of manufacturing with metal, and there is a section on this in the guide. It offers guidance on machining and polishing additively manufactured metal parts, as well as sanding and the best ways to work with threads.

Finally there is a materials section on stainless steels, tool steels, superalloys and non-ferrous materials. Each has detail on when and why to use a material and its properties, with step-by-step mini guides for heat treating them for different hardness ratings.

Note that there are many different technologies for metal 3D printing, and as such no one guide can cover everything – but most of the best practises in this guide are widely applicable. It makes for an excellent pocket guide for 3D printing metal.

The final guide in this list is on the Economics of 3D Printing.

This guide focuses exclusively on whether or not additive manufacturing is viable and useful to a business. In five sections, in covers the following:

1. Calculating the Cost of your 3D Printed Part
2. Determining the Costs of Alternate Production
3. Finding your Break Even Point
4. Return on Investment: The Value of 3D Printing
5. Calculating your ROI

With in depth analysis of overhead manufacturing costs, design changes, and turnaround times, this guide does the heavy lifting for you. Using it as a template, you can quickly calculate whether 3D printing will be more efficient, and how long it will take to get a return on your investment.

Click here to get the complete PDF Guide.